Meeting Type: BCC Regular Meeting
Meeting Date: 6/16/2026
Item Status: New
From: Jay Dickson, Planning Director
Submitted by: Ashley Campbell, Natural Resource Planner
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ITEM TITLE
Title
Subrecipient Agreement with Dauphin Island Sea Lab / Mobile Bay National Estuary Program for Baldwin County Monitoring - Styx River Watershed Automated GSSHA Watershed Analysis Modeling
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STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Approve and authorize the Chairman to sign the Subrecipient Agreement by and between the Dauphin Island Sea Lab / Mobile Bay National Estuary Program and the Baldwin County Commission for Baldwin County Monitoring - Styx River Watershed Automated GSSHA Watershed Analysis Modeling.
This Agreement begins on June 1, 2026, and remains in force to April 30, 2027.
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BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Background: In 2024 and 2025, Baldwin County partnered with the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program (MBNEP) and sponsored several stream and rain gauges in watersheds within Baldwin County. These gauges initiated the creation of the County’s comprehensive hydrologic modeling program. This Agreement will further that effort by providing hydrologic models for the Styx River Watershed using Aquaveo’s Automated GSSHA Watershed Analysis (AGWA) software. Aquaveo offers state-of-the-art software and over two decades of civil engineering experience to help manage water resources projects.
The comprehensive hydrologic modeling program is the first step towards implementation of Best Management Practices (BMPs) recommended in coastal Watershed Management Plans (WMPs). These comprehensive hydrologic studies are necessary to determine where regional detention, restoration, and conservation activities can provide the most benefit to the system. Comprehensive watershed hydrologic models will be developed and utilized to guide the design of regional detention projects, priority coastal habitat restoration projects, and provide watershed resource managers a useful tool to guide implementation of future headwater projects in these watersheds. The development of these hydrologic models has been recommended in multiple WMPs and have been used to address issues including but not limited to:
• Modeling dynamics of stream segments to inform stream restoration design.
• Evaluating the impacts of future growth.
• Helping resource managers evaluate proposed new developments with respect to compliance with stormwater management.
• Evaluating potential retrofit measures in already-developed areas to: 1) aid in selection of watershed-specific retrofit retention/capture volume targets; and 2) aid in the determination of how many and what types of retrofits (i.e., relative effectiveness) are needed to meet capture volume targets.
The development of accurate watershed hydrologic models is heavily dependent on the collection of topographical, streamflow, and rainfall data collected throughout the basins studied. Calibration and validation of watershed hydrologic models are achieved through the proper collection and analysis of field data.
This Agreement will continue the County’s efforts in the comprehensive hydrologic modeling program. It will be entered into with the Dauphin Island Sea Lab / MBNEP, and the Baldwin County Commission (the “Subrecipient”) will cooperate in the performance of the subject project. This monitoring is the continuation of the implementation of the MBNEP’s Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan prepared by MBNEP for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
MBNEP’s mission is to implement a Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) that maintains and promotes wise stewardship of the water quality and living resources in Mobile Bay and Delta.
The Marine Environmental Sciences Consortium is the administrative host of MBNEP and received funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act on behalf of MBNEP to implement the objectives set forth in its CCMP.
MBNEP desires to address the Ecosystem Restoration goal of its CCMP as follows: to advance the wise stewardship of water quality and living resources of Alabama's estuaries and coast to withstand evolving weather trend related impacts.
Previous Commission action/date: July 16, 2025 - The previous action included AGWA Modeling with Hydrologic Monitoring enhancement with the following objectives:
• Bring 100-YR Magnolia River Watershed model up to date with current land use conditions.
• Develop 2-YR and 25-YR models for Magnolia River.
• Expand real-time monitoring coverage in two priority watersheds
• Add capacity for determining storm and flood recurrence intervals in the County.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Total cost of recommendation: N/A
Budget line item(s) to be used: N/A
If this is not a budgeted expenditure, does the recommendation create a need for funding? The grant provides $60,000.00 with no cash or labor in-kind match.
LEGAL IMPACT
Is legal review necessary for this staff recommendation and related documents?
Yes
Reviewed/approved by: County Attorney reviewed/approved on 06/05/2026 AC
Additional comments: N/A
ADVERTISING REQUIREMENTS
Is advertising required for this recommendation? N/A
If the proof of publication affidavit is not attached, list the reason: N/A
FOLLOW UP IMPLEMENTATION
For time-sensitive follow up, select deadline date for follow up: N/A
Individual(s) responsible for follow up: N/A
Action required (list contact persons/addresses if documents are to be mailed or emailed): Mail two (2) executed originals to:
Mobile Bay National Estuary Program
ATTN: Bethany Hudson, Business and Grants Manager
118 North Royal Street, Suite 601
Mobile, Alabama 36602
cc: Ashley Campbell, James Howard, Katrina Taylor
Additional instructions/notes: Admin - Add to tickler for receipt of one original Agreement.